The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-16
The Massacre Of the Grew of
Q the Boston.
A VERY MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
The Result of Calling an indian a Liar
Tho Capture of the Murderous
Chief.

| 0rS OF the maSSacred crew or the ship
! Boston, an account Ois preserved in
Hubert Howe Bancrott's History of the
Northwest Coast.
The Boston, Captain John Salter,
arrived an the 18th of March, 1903, at
Nootkh Sound on Vancouver Island.
She nad on board levitt, who was a
native of Hull, England, where the
Boston had taken in a cargo of goods
suitable for the Indian trade. levitt,
a young man of an adventurous turn of
mind, had engaged himself as armorer.
His father, blacksmith, put up for his
son on the vessels deck an iron forge
upon plan of his own. invention after
wards patented. Here the young man,
who received $50 a month for his work,
could Re seen during the voyage ham
mering away upon knives and hatchets
FOR the Indians and putting in order the
muskets, of which there were 3 1000 on
board.
Arrived at Nootka, the Boston was
soon visited by the Indians. Their
chief, Maquinna, was man of striking
appearance. Arrayed in a magnificent
robe, extending to his knees, and belted
with native cloth of divers colors, his
long, black, Well-oiled hair srrinkTed
thinly with white down, he came
aboard several times and dined with the
captain. Captain Salter was extremely
careful in his treatment of the Indians.
In /,
| A shotgun had been presented to the
chief, who returned it next day in a
| broken condition, saying that it was a
bad piece. The captain in fit of anger
called the chief liar, took the gun and
threw it to levitt to be mended. Ma
| quinna, who knew well the significance
of the epithet liar among the whites,
| smothered his rage and answered never
a word.
Ten days had passed since the arrival
of the vessel, some trading had been
! done in the meantime and the relations
| between the whites and the Indians were
apparently most amicable. The chief
inquired when the ship would sail and
on being answered, Tomorrow" told
the captain that salmon was plentiful in
Friendly Cove, where he could easily
catch and lay in a good supply. Much
pleased with this proposal, the captain
sent the chief-mate and nine men with
the yaWl and jolly boat on the fishing
erTaEd.
Maquinna and about twenty of his
tribe were on board looking the meekest
and most inoffensiVe of men. Suddenly,
while the remaining crew were hosting
the long-boaE, the Indians seized what
ever instruments lay nearest, sprang
upon the sailors, beat them down and
with the sailors own knives cut their
throats. Maquinna himself grappled
with the captain and threw him over
board, where he was killed by the
Indians in the boats. The heads of the
slaughtered mariners, to the number of
twenty five, were then cut off and
ranged in a row ON the quarter deck
while the bodies were thrown into the
sea. The chief mate with the fishing
party were attacked at Friendly Cove
and all of them massacred.
levitt, the armorer, escaped as by a
miracle When he heard the comno-
ton on deck, he rushed up from below,
where he had been cleaning muskets,
Immediately he received stroke with
an ak which sent him down again. Here
he lay senseless for a while and on
recovering consciousness was ordered
before the chief, who took his promise
OF obedience and then spared his lite for
the sake OF his skill in mending arms.
OF which the Indian had1esolved to avail
himself. levitt next had to take the
vessel to Friendly Cove, when another
survivor was discovered concealed in
the hole This was the sail maker
Thompson, whose life levitt saved by
pretending that he was his father, and
refusing to live unless the others life
was also preserved. The savages Low
held great celebration of their victory
and received the Congratulations OF their
friends who came from afar to share IN
the reioicings and plunder. But before
half OF the cargo was removed from the
vessel, the Boston was burned, being
accidentally set on fire by native who
mad come abO .rd during the night with
q torch to secure plundar.
As soon as Jewitt'S wound was
healed, he was put to work and. having
q stone for sn anvil, and woodhre 10
heat his metal, was. making knives for
the men and hatchets for the women.
During his captivity he kept q diary,
writing with boiled blackberry Juice.
Msquinna told levitt the fate of SIX
sailors. Ge, erters from the ship MdDcheS-
fcs, who had fallen into his hands. and
having been re-captured in an attempt
to escape. had been cruelty put to
death. ana added that the punishment
would befall him if he should undertake
tight. Instead of wishing to leave
levitt expressed a desire to learn The
language. which greatly pleased the
Chief. Maquinna grew confidential and
related to his CAPTIVE q long story OF the
wrongs which he had suffered at the
hands OF the whites. He then forced
upon levitt wife and forced him to
adopt the Indian costume, bat when
SANITY clothing produced illness the
chief despaired OF making good Indian
of the Englshman and permitted him
to resume his old dress and to divorce
his wife.
Two summers and winters had passed
when one in JPly, 1905, levitt was
artled by the boom OF three cannOns.
The sound which sent thrill through
the heart of the captive. proceeded from
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